Fish Report

Well, our strange winter weather seems to be giving us a little bit of everything. We had snow, rain, slush, or in other words a little of everything. For those that had to move snow on Monday they had a real project with the heavy, wet snow. But the bright side is that the sun is higher in the sky so if we should have a few nice sunny days in a row, spring weather could be coming our way.

Did you miss out on Saturday? I would have to give five stars out of a possible five stars for the city crew, Top O Lakes, and everybody else that had anything to do with the kid’s ice fishing contest. You would have to have been there to see all the people on the quarry to really realize how many were out there. I feel that it is just things like this that make our town a great place to live.

Of course you know from my articles how I always enjoy watching any activity that can involve the whole family and this kid’s fishing contest did just that. I also want to give a big thumbs up for those that put it on and saw to it that everyone that registered went home with something from the contest. Like I said, I think all those that had a part in it deserve our thanks.

I am now going to switch gears and go from something that was great for all those involved to the other end of the spectrum to where it seems all those involved are going to get ripped off.

Having been employed by government all my career I have been through and observed how those higher ups in government work.

It has always been the way of government when they are called to balance their budget like most families have to do all the time to make those they are suppose to be working for suffer. You are seeing that today coming from Washington once again.

I hear so many things that are going to be cut and almost all of them have been cut where they will hurt the little people the most.

Now understand this is what I hear and I have no way of knowing if it is set in stone. I hear the visitor’s center for Pictured Rocks in Munising may be closed. A number of visitor centers in other national parks are facing the same cuts.

I think something like this sets the way we can expect things to happen because I do not care if it is the government in Lansing or Washington when cuts come they never seem to cut what 99.9 percent of Americans want to see them cut.

Ok here we go! Mr. President, Mr. or Mrs. Senator or Mr. Congressman how about cutting some of the things you have power over there in Washington. Let’s start with maybe some staff, all the perks that come with the job that were never meant to be part of it and yes maybe some travel. All these things that the people you are suppose to be looking out for have to pay for out of their own pocket.

Have you noticed that the way to balance things out in Washington or Lansing is tax or charge you more while all the time giving you less and less service.

Did you read or hear with all the budget problems some agencies in Washington are suppose to be having they decided to spend umpteen dollars on new uniforms and other things. All this when if you as a family had this same problem the kids would wear their old jacket for another winter.

They take the college benefits and other things away from our military who put their life on the line for you and me. But I have to wonder with the size of the pentagon how many pencil pushers there are there and at all the other such desk jobs for each military man in the field? How many of these jobs are being cut.

You know as a family when hard times come along let’s say like having one or maybe two kids in college at the same time. Or a new baby decides to drop in and pay you a visit for the next 18 plus years. What do you have to do?

You and Wifee sit down and make an honest list and prioritize what is important and a necessity. Then you make another list and on this list you decide what you can do without. You may decide to drive that old car a few more years, plant a garden, give up on that summer vacation you had planned and cut anywhere you can while still having the things you really need.

So after all this may I suggest that those three I mentioned up above in Washington drive that old car until they balance the budget, plant a garden to make ends meet (in other words give up all their perks), and cancel their vacations and live like normal people have to when money gets tight. (Like on Mac-Cheese and Ramen Noodles)